1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to a rhyming word game, an apparatus to measure progress, components adapted for executing the rhyming word game, and a method of playing such.
2. Background of the Invention and Prior Art
Many word games are known wherein a player's advancement to a winning position depends to a great extent on a player's knowledge in a particular subject. Examples of such word games include U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,725, a thesaurus card game utilizing dictionary definitions; U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,066, another thesaurus game that tests a player's ability to match key words or symbols to one or more other words or symbols; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,402, an analogy game that expands players' vocabulary and general knowledge by drawing analogies between people, events, places, things, and concepts. However, there are very few board games where advancement depends on rhyming word responses. Two examples of rhyming word board games are U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,277 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,148.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,148 is an educational word rhyming game that uses rhyming cards depicting drawings and words and a spinner to determine the number of rhymes one player must form from the selected rhyming card. The player advances along a plurality of consecutive spaces defining a movement path toward a finish space. The main purpose of this invention is for educational value. While this game may provide some educational value, its simplistic nature is directed toward a very young audience.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,277 is a board game that tests a player's knowledge of musical and literary works and requires a player to recite or create a rhyming response. The game board consists of a plurality of distinguishable spaces that are divided into several categories requiring a player to comply with a particular instruction. The particular instruction occurs on a randomly selected playing card chosen by the player. The player advances on the game board by complying with the instruction in the recitation or creation of rhyming word or words. The words may be included in a poem, a multiple-line rhyme, ending lines of a sentence, a lyric, or a greeting card message. This may be done with a time constraint provided by a timing apparatus. The player having completed the instruction moves along the game board toward the winning space. While the game provides a variety of playing categories, it is this variety of categories that creates a complex and lengthy set of instructions. In addition, the game does not allow for simultaneous participation among all players. In certain instances, a player dominates the game by continually responding correctly. This temporarily suspends others from play.
While many such educational and knowledge testing games are known, there is an unsolved need for some method of developing a rhyming word game that uses general knowledge to provide entertainment for the family in a more interactive manner. The present invention is a result of a concern for a game that is entertaining, highly interactive, and challenging while utilizing general knowledge and providing some degree of education to all players.